Team SHDW
by Solomon07
Summary: Taking a closer look at things, there had been so many things that could have been done. So many lives that should have been saved. But this isn't the kind of story that does that. This is the kind that tells the tale of those hidden under the legends of the great. The stories of those that wished to forget. This a tale of those hidden under the shadows of the great.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

 **A/N: Hello! Solomon07 here! Sorry about my long disappearance my precious fans! At least, those who actually bothered to read my stuff.**

 **But none the less, here I am with a new story. A RWBY Fanfiction in fact, something I decided to write myself. And while I hold nothing within the RWBY Franchise, except for my own OC's, I'd like to bring up a point that this will be loosely, if not completely be based off an RP I'm participating in with some friends.**

 **Mostly just to get my mojo back in case I plan on doing anything else. So the OC's you'll see here will belong to either me, or my other three friends. Shout out towards Aku-Tan, Ookami-san, and Bell-Tan...ah, and those are just nicknames I use for them just to act cute...tee~hee!**

 **None the less. Hope you enjoy the story, as its my first in a whole.**

* * *

Tugging at her metallic bracers nervously, a dark skinned girl turned her eyes towards the marble streets of Beacon Academy. Her hands straightening her white buttoned shirt its tail nice and straight as her monochromic boots clacked against the ground with every step. Black curls, tied haphazardly into a ponytail, swished with the turn of her neck as she took a couple steps forward.

She didn't even hear the Bullhead lifting off, job well done. Could you blame her though?

In retrospect, she didn't think that she'd make it this far. But as she gazed at the entrance to Beacon, it was a chance she didn't regret taking.

* * *

"Dear god I'm actually here." Eye's twitching, a nervous sigh escaped his lips as he eyed his soon-to-be classmates. Not comrades…never comrades…all of them wandering about, talking, looking as if they knew what they were about to do, and why.

Tugging his hood down, the reclusive teen simply moved his way forward, dark eyes front and center with only the idea of getting out of the sun prickling his thoughts. Something that didn't last very long, as they shamelessly wandered to the nearby applicants and their colorful attires.

' _Stupid Color War affected too much of today's society…'_ he thought wearily, _'now I feel like the only one without a theme.'_ At least not a solid one, and ignoring that he's not really dressed for combat; he'd like to point out to any who'd ask that he's not the only one.

So he's effectively throwing everyone else under the Bullhead.

' _Except the Gothic Lolita who…really isn't one all things considered.'_ Too hyperactive…much like a puppy in his eyes. Impossible to miss.

Too tempting to mess with. Less he not get out of here soon, and into some peaceful silence that is.

A booming explosion flare up a good ways behind him, as if to emphasize his point.

* * *

Several moments prior to this explosion however, we'll see a young girl walking forward along with everyone else, head down, and eyes to the ground in fear of eye contact. And tugging at her white hoodie, her braided hair slipped out, black with a streak of yellow trailing towards its end, dying its tip in its bright color.

After a moment, she settled for straightening in as she moved along, hands clasped together. _'You're here now, you can relax.'_ She thought reassuringly. _'You've waited your whole life for this moment.'_ A moment she wanted to keep.

Behind her, just as nervous as she, if not more, someone walked on as if in a trance. Hands trembling, if only ever so slightly, as the sight of his olive skin flickered with a deep red. A vision only there for a moment, before vanishing just as he blinked.

And so preoccupied with their own thoughts, one bumped into another in an inevitable clash of destiny.

"O-oh! Sorry," She said instinctively, righting herself from her stumble. And with the turn of her waist, she eyed the boy who'd walked into her with but one thought in mind. "…uh…hi?" She said, with a wave of her hand, inwardly face palming at her words.

Shaken out of his own stupor, the male simply shook his head. "Nah, it was my fault." He stated, lips quirking awkwardly.

And after a couple moments of silence, the female broke the tension. "I'm…Willow. Willow Buttercup. Who're you?" She asked, discreetly taking in his appearance.

A Gothic Raccoon…is the best to describe him really. Black hair tinted with a deep blue, his bangs trailing over the guy's left eye, while his right remained an enchanting purple. A single canine protruding from the upper right corners of his mouth. His clothes being a black shirt underneath a denim blue vest, a silver dog tag lying still around his chest.

"Dwayne Denim," he replied simply, and while a half-lie, it is true that he registered at Beacon with that name. Something he borrowed often, as the last name belonged to a good friend of his.

"I'm sorry for being awkward. I don't get out all that much." Or at all. "So this is all new to me. Being on my own. Around so many…people…" trailing off, her fingers fiddled with her braid, heart racing as she began to realize something.

"Eh, it's cool," he said nonchalantly, oblivious to Willow's emotions. "I'm not much of a people's person myself." Far from it.

"So why'd you come here then?" She asked.

"Because it's been a dream of mine to become a Huntsman…always have been." Dwayne replied easily. "So I figured, what better place to start than Beacon Academy."

"That's my reason too!" Willow brightened up, eyes sparkling. "Just thinking about how much good I can do for other people makes it all worth it!"

"Meh. I prefer the Monster-Killing part of the job. Helping people is just an added benefit."

"Well, they go hand in hand, and that's all I care about!" But then she stopped. "Though I'm still a bit nervous about facing the bigger Grimm." She muttered, thinly keeping her fear in check.

Just about to reply, Dwayne stumbled forward as someone shove right by him from behind.

"Watch where your standing Faunus," that person sneered.

Righting himself, eye's nearly twitching, Dwayne simply took a deep breath as the guy walked on off.

"Excuse me for a minute." And with that, he ran on forward and dropped kicked the previous guy from behind. Running off almost immediately into an isolated direction as the other student gave chase. A couple moments, and one surprised yelp later, Dwayne had returned. "Now where was I?" He asked, coolly looking through a wallet he clearly didn't have before.

"I…uh…does that happen often?" Willow was familiar with the hate Faunus got, but she never really witnessed it firsthand. Especially with that solution.

Willow'd be surprised. "Eh, sometimes." Dwayne replied shrugging.

She chuckled, looking down to the wallet in his hands. "And I assume your…methods always gets you something in return, right?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he stated with aninconspiring wink.

"Uh huh. Well if you don't mind me asking, where's your weapon?" She asked curiously.

Flipping open one of the pouches on his utility belt, he took out a deck of playing cards. "Right here."

"Err…cards?" They certainly weren't her staff, but maybe he had more tricks up his sleeves than he thought.

"Yep."

Willow opened her mouth to question it further, but decided against it. "Cool. But check out mine!" Opening one of her suitcases, she snapped the black and yellow staffs within back together, before twisting it lightly near the center, retractable blades popping out of both ends to her weapon. "I call it Soleil." She added, albeit sheepishly.

"…but how would you fight with that?" He asked, oblivious to the irony of the question. "Wouldn't you get all tangled up trying to swing that thing around?"

Willow simply giggled, twirling Soleil around like a giant baton, firmly grasping it with both hands with every spin. "I've been practicing a lot during my travels, and I think I've got the balance down to pat! This thing isn't tripping me up!" Spoken too soon, however, as she heard a yell from behind.

Turning around, she blinked as one of Solel's blades sliced right on through another student's belt, who glared angrily at Willow in return before storming off. The fact that it was a female student made it worse.

"Ah! Sorry!" She called out after them, before turning back towards Dwayne, sheepishly rubbing her neck. "Ha…I never said it wouldn't affect others though."

Dwayne chuckled though, as he felt like cracking up. "S-sorry," he snickered, "I didn't mean to laugh."

Shrugging, Willow nodded. "You'd be surprised how often it happens." She smirked. "But…mind if I ask how those cards…work?"

"You'll just have to wait and find out," Dwayne grinned ominously. "Just hope that when you do, it's not because you're on the other end of 'em."

Willow snorted. "Alright then Mystery Man. Can you tell me anything about yourself?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he nodded seriously, "I'm a badass." And then he chuckled.

"Fair enough," Willow smiled, eyes rolling. "But I think that'll depend on how you do here."

"Yeah, sure…but for now I think we should hurry up to the Orientation…" he said.

"Right." Placing her staff away, Willow grabbed her bags, and waved on forward. "After you."

Leaning against the wall, the dark skinned girl from before waited for the Orientation to begin while eyeing the students that continue to come on in.

* * *

There was a lot more people than expected, and the fleeting tightness in her chest passed as soon as it came. Perking up when she felt her scroll chime, she didn't have to look at the caller ID to know who it was.

"Yeah Mom? No, I just got here. There's supposed to be an orientation. Yeah, I'll call you later. Okay, okay. Love you. Bye." Hanging up, she slid down to the floor with a sigh, before glancing over to her weapon and suitcase. "Oh boy…" she murmured to herself.

* * *

And just as there had been people outside, of course there was going to be people inside too. A large variety at that…still too colorful. "Maybe I'm just used to the white of snow." He mumbled thoughtfully, eyes drifting about in search of a quiet spot to rest. "And speaking of snow…" As soon as shouting happens, he's made it a habit to keep far away from such noise.

Away from mind and away from sight.

So with that thought going, he made his way to the other side of the Auditorium, away from the entrance, and away from Snowflake biting off little miss Goth-Loli's head.

Only to stop as a cough echoed through the room, catching his, and no doubt everyone else's attention. Two figures standing up there on the amphitheatre. One being a blond woman of indiscernible age, a strict, yet orderly expression decorating her face that screamed disciplinarian. A riding crop discernable from her sides.

Glynda Goodwitch, Deputy Headmistress of Beacon Academy. And right by her side, several steps ahead would no doubt be the Headmaster himself, Professor Ozpin.

A man dressed in an immaculate green suit, one hand gripping an intricate can as his eyes roamed amongst the students behind his tinted spectacles.

"I'll keep this brief," Ozpin stated. "You have all traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your crafts and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."

Even now, as the Headmaster spoke, he could feel the man's eyes a hair's breath away from stopping a couple times, as if his words were meant for a few key individuals among the gathering of students.

"But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy in need of a purpose," Ozpin continued, "of direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can carry you so far."

It may have just been him, but he couldn't help but hear a jibe in the man's words. Not at him, but that didn't mean he wasn't irritated about it. "It is up to you to take the first step." And just like that, Ozpin walked off the stage, allowing Glynda to take his place.

"You will all gather in the ballroom tonight." She instructed, green eyes piercing through the crowd, as if to dispel any ideas of mischief. "Tomorrow your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed!" It wasn't long until she followed after the Headmaster, leaving behind one lingering look of warning to everyone behind as she left.

* * *

"Wow...that was weird." Dwayne muttered, turning towards Willow. "What do you think?"

"Maybe they're as eager to start as we are?" Willow replied with a shrug.

"Eh, maybe."

* * *

"W-wasted energy?" Standing up from her spot on the ground, she grabbed her belongings as she made her way towards the ballroom along with the rest of the students. She was nervous already, and the fact that the Headmaster's speech was rather...uninspiring did nothing to help.

"And I completely agree." A boy hummed in thought, wrists popping. "...but I have to say though, that my theory about Beacon being correct both amuses, and irks me." He stated right by the befuddles girls side, conveniently ignoring her startled reaction.

Holding back her urge to jump in right, the girl took a quick look around, before realizing that the strange boy had been talking to her. "Oh, uh...what?" Not the most articulate of phrases she could have chosen, but there's no turning back now

"And this amuses me so," he stated, eyeing her with bemusement. "Hello, I am the spirit of Beacon Academy, present to watch over soon to be comrades in our eternal battle against darkness." Tilting his head to the side, the man grinned. "Nice to meet you."

She smiled, although the edges were tinged with confusion as she held out her hand. "I'm Seren." She greeted. "Nice to meet you too...I think? Depends on if you're a friendly spirit or not."

"Friendly or not, as the spirit of Beacon Academy, tis my job to lead wayward souls lost in the darkness back home." Eyes drifting about, his body flickered...as if fading in and out, before regaining its shape. "And on this day...there's always more than a few who's fallen off their path." For a moment, he fell into silence, as if considering, before turning right back to face Seren in the eyes. "Names Hyland...Grauer Hyland. Pleasure to meet you again, young Huntress to be."

Not really sure on how to respond, Seren continued to smile as her attention drifted towards the holsters on Grauer's sides. Gun's?

She could never get the hang of using them back at Signal when deciding on her weapon. Ironically enough, she found it easier to handle what she decided which happened to be much bigger than your standard gun.

And too preoccupied with her thoughts, she missed the Spirit's attention shift towards a familiar shouts of Snow White reaching his ears. But when she looked up, she found him with his full attention on her. "Just smile and wave, right?" He asked with a chuckle. "Introductions aside, what are your current thoughts to Beacon?"

"Ah, well it's...big," she huffed out a laugh. "Bigger than I expected. And a little overwhelming, to be honest." Seren noticed that the hall was mostly empty now, save for the few students lingering about.

"It's only going to get bigger from here," He stated, following her line of sight. "That's something we should learn to embrace, as soon to be Hunters." Slowly coming to a stop, even as Seren passed him by, Grauer grinned. "As well as enjoy...which is what you'll be doing during your time as a student."

"If I even get that far..." she muttered under her breath. But after a moment, she raised a brow in thought, and smiled. "You're a pretty enlightened person, Grauer. It's...refreshing? Erm, yeah."

"I'm the Ghost of Beacon." A ghost who watches a lot of movies. "It's in the job description...and a word of advice. Doubting yourself is just a set up for failure." Tilting his head forward, Grauer chuckled as he watched a Blonde clad in Bunny Onesies walk out of the changing rooms. "Relax, prepare, and believe in your abilities. That's all you need to do."

Nodding, she gave a quick once over of the area before she spotted the Ballroom Entrance. "Thanks," she nodded, albeit a tad ruefully. "I think I'm going to call it a night though. Hopefully I'll see you around Ghosty."

Raising a brow at her, 'Ghosty' simply grinned. "Have pleasant dreams." He hummed. "I know you're going to do good tomorrow." And if not...then maybe all she'll need is that gentle push from Beacon's friendly castle-bound spirit? "See you another time."

Waving goodbye, Seren took a quick glance at her weapon, before heading off towards the ladies changing room. "Bye!"

Bemused, a hum escaped his lips, smile no longer in place as he stopped right by the Ballroom's entrance, eyes wafting over the wandering students in thought.

All exuberant...exited, nervous, scared, confident, if not uneasy about the coming Initiation. "So carefree..." Taking one last look at everyone, he sighed, before slowly vanishing from sight. "How...envious..." Grauer murmured, voice drifting off into silence.

Nearby, the sounds of wood clacking against marble soon sounded within the halls.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's the end of Chapter 1! Not much to go on really, but after the previous three mentioned sold their souls too me, I'll be sure to include much more excitement in the story to come.**

 **Now to cross my fingers in hope they don't hunt me down.**

 **Toodles!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

 **A/N: ...wow...I actually updated something for once...maybe I really am getting my mojo back! Probably not, but one can hope!**

 **Anyway, as for today's chapter, here's some tidbits and a bit of silliness for anyone who reads it! And shout outs to Aku-Tan, Ookami-san, and Bell-Tan for willingly falling into my trap!**

 **And on another note, I do not own anything belonging the the RWBY-Verse except for any original content be they characters or story...except for the three that belong to my pals!**

 **Hope you like the chapter!**

* * *

Sneaking a peak into the ballroom, brown eyes fidgeted nervously at the people roaming within. A majority of the boys bare-chested and flexing, and the girls wearing tank tops and pajama bottoms. Some outfits looked cute though.

Like that kimono…thing, that the girl in the back was wearing. Too revealing around the thighs for her liking, though. But still cute.

After a moment of deliberation, she mustered up the courage and walked on in, albeit quickly as to not attract attention to her brown pajama pants and shirt, a white camellia blossom clear over her chest.

Luckily, it was nearly full now, so there'd no doubt be other people for everyone to gawk at much less her.

Unluckily, it also gave her full view of the bare-chested boys flexing their muscles. No doubt trying to get female attention…that, or just out of machismo. The thought didn't brush away the flush that dusted her cheeks though, so she sought out a secluded spot. Hopefully away from anything related to hormones.

She did manage to spot a familiar face though, among everyone. But he seemed to be in the middle of…something, students crowding around him whispering to each other in an exited manner.

For a moment, Willow thought she saw a flash of green exchanging hands, and a devious grin playing on Dwayne's lips.

"Don't want to know," she muttered. "I do not want to know."

* * *

Thumb flicking through Lien, Dwayne pocketed the bills into his new wallet, grinning as the losers walked off with half of what they came with. He lost a couple times, of course, to keep the game going. And while he wasn't an expert at it, gambling isn't about winning.

It's about making sure you don't lose.

Didn't understand what that meant the first time around, and really, it still nags at him even now. But as his wallet felt slightly bigger within his pouch, he couldn't help but feel that he knew a bit better than back then.

Not much though.

So with that thought in mind, his nose twitched as he stifled a yawn, raccoon ears curling up-top his crown.

Rubbing his eyes, he took one last look at the other students, and closed his eyes, back firmly against the wall as soft snores soon came with the rising and falling of his chest.

* * *

"...why?" Eyes twitching, clad in her pajamas, Seren was really wishing she had Corona with her. And ghost or not, that creepy cackle Grauer let loose every couple seconds didn't ease her nerves.

...ironic, seeing as ghosts were supposed to be creepy to begin with.

"Why what?" The object of her ire snickered. And to think she'd thought of him as enlightened.

Looking over his shoulder, she simply watched as he continued taking pictures of nearby students. "Why the picture taking?" Isn't this a serious breach of privacy? "Didn't take you one for photography."

"...and you'd be right." Was it just her, or did he sound a bit stiff. "Just going through the merchandise."

"...hah?"

"You'd be surprised at what a good photo would catch." He grinned cattily. "Especially among a walking mass of teenage hormones."

"I repeat...hah?"

Turning his head with a raised brow, dark eyes froze underneath Grauer's hood, before quickly turning away, much to Seren's confusion. "Dear lord your vulnerable." He muttered, before shrugging it off. "What I'm doing involves taking pictures of these would be Hunters and Huntresses before Initiation starts. Because just the night before is when things line up."

Line up? "Why would you say that?" She asked.

"Because not everyone's going to pass the Initiation." His words made her stiffen a bit with worry. "And with a Combat School like Beacon, there's no doubt going to be variety among the students." With a click of a button, he strolled down the Gallery of his Scroll with a curious hum, before stopping at a few. "And **because** it's Beacon, there's going to be those who make it, and those who don't. So I'm simply taking in the merchandise before they get away." Vacuo, Vale, Atlas, and Mistral.

"...what'll happen to those who fail?" If she fails.

"They go home and try again next time," he replied, "either at Beacon, or one of the other Academies." Flickering through a couple photos, he brought a few up to screen. "This year brought out some fresh crops. A couple coming from the East of Mistral, from South-East Menagerie to the West of Vacuo, as well as a few from Atlas. Not many come from there, sadly."

Staring blankly at the photos, Seren could only shake her head in recognition. A couple of them being people she's seen passing by, or had been too noticeable to ignore. The guy in the Bunny Footie Pajamas being an example. Couldn't forget something that adorable...wonder if she could get a kitty version?

But still, among everything, one question came to mind. "Why are you doing this?" Doesn't seem like much fun to her.

"Because I'm a Pimp Shipper." He replied shamelessly. "And as a Shipper, I make cash by pimping out photos of other people to those who want them, thus leading to romantic adventures for all parties, ad hilarious moments for me to record and later blackmail them with for my own amusement. It says so on my shirt." And he pulled up his sweater to empathies his point, revealing a red letters on blue.

 _ **"I'm a Pimp Shipper. So just let yourself get pimped for my ships!"**_

A giggle escaped her lips before Seren knew it, and she could only swat Grauer over the head as he cackled diabolically, taking more pictures in the process. "You're so bad!"

"It's the bad boy that girls find sexy!" He snickered. "Though if you prefer cute, I could be a good boy too! Which do you prefer?"

He got another swat on the head for his efforts. "Bad. Bad boy. Heel." She laughed when he barked a whimpered. "Weirdo."

"And you know it!"

Lips twitching in exasperation, Seren shook her head and slowly stood up, feeling more relaxed than she did moments before. "That I do, Grauer the Shipping Pimp."

Turning his attention away from his scroll, said Ghost simply blinked, frown dropping for a moment. "You going to bed?"

"Yep. Gotta be ready for tomorrow." She nodded. "Wouldn't want to fail due to oversleeping now. See you tomorrow." And with that, Seren waved goodbye.

* * *

Watching as Seren walked off, he tugged his hood further down, hiding his eyes. Fingers scrolling down his gallery, momentarily stopping at one in particular. Of a girl clad in pink, figure hugging pajamas, a white camellia design present on her back.

"...That girl is seriously too open." He muttered, clicking his scroll shut.

The warmth of her breath when she leaned over his shoulder still tingled his skin. Just as the smell of flowers still remained around him, a reminder of who was just here.

...it was annoying. Girls shouldn't be that forward...or dense. Embarrassed flush dying down, he simply leaned back against the wall, eyes locked on the ceiling in thought. "..so many people indeed." Recalling his earlier conversation, a frown tugged at his lips. "..."

 _ **(Emerald Forest: Cliffside)**_

Staring over the cliff with a curious gaze, he nudged a small pebble over the side, and watched as it tumbled down before vanishing into the oceans of green below.

"...That's a long drop." He muttered, taking several quick steps back, standing upon the metal platforms in the ground. "And I can just see how this is going to go." And as he turned his head left and right, eyeing those on either side, he grinned.

"Not sure how legal it is to fling kids off a cliff, but at least it'll be a fun ride." Dwayne murmured, inspecting his platform.

* * *

Staring at the far off forest, one thought came to mind as he tapped the metal plate before. "I wanna fling students off a cliff and into a deadly forest too," Grauer muttered petulantly. "But..."

As he took in the sight of the forest, the sound of the waterfalls and the breadth of wind that brushed gently pass his cheeks, a grin couldn't help but stretch his cheeks. "It is a beautiful sight." But the moment was quickly ruined by his neighbors groans.

* * *

"I-I think...I'm going to throw up," she sputtered, hands rubbing her stomach. Now probably wasn't a good time to mention her fear of heights...or of falling off said heights, and splattering on the ground in a gory puddle.

If she had known that getting tossed off a cliff was going to be part of the initiation, she'd have tossed herself out of Bullhead on the way here. "Wouldn't be bothered by a measly cliff if I ever did that too."

Then she blinked, as a glass of water was held up in front of her eyes. "Want a glass?" And turning to her left, she blinked again as she stared at the hooded figure staring right at her.

Maybe it was just her, but there was something...ominous about his eyes. A dark brown...or was it a pitch black? She couldn't tell with the hood, but Willow did know that the guy was creepy. "Um...no thank you," smiling nervously, she shook her head no. "I think I'll take my chances."

And then, right before her eyes, the glass vanished. "Fair enough." And with a hum, he turned back to face the forest.

 _'...okay...if that wasn't creepy, then I must be going insane.'_ Semblance maybe?

* * *

"Oh-ho, boy..." Resisting the urge to peer over the cliff, Seren had long since presumed what was going to happen, with the metal platforms and all. The Cliffside simply strengthened that point, being beside a deadly forest adding more to it. And as a uncomfortable tightness took her breath, the familiar pressure of her weapon calmed her nerves. "This should be fun."

"For years, you have trained to become warrior," breaking out of her stupor, Seren turned as the Headmaster began to speak, "and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

It wasn't until Ms. Goodwitch began speaking that she truly started feeling regretful. Her partner was to be the first one she made eye contact with? A bit...unprofessional, isn't it?

Wouldn't pairing those with compatible abilities make more sense? Then again, this could have been something to test their adaptability. After all, as Huntsman, you can never really pick your partners at times.

Even though, growing point aside, she was still apprehensive about it. What if she was paired with someone less than cordial? Would she need to force him/her into submission just to get them to listen? Is she even allowed to do that? Could she even do that?

And as her thoughts began to take a wild turn, she groaned pitifully, hoping that her partner would be someone nice. Maybe Bunny Boy? She still had to shake him down for the location of his Footie Pajamas.

She wants her Kitty Pajamas!

Really though, Seren only listened numbly to the rest of the briefing; something about an abandoned temple and some relics. That sounded simple enough, even if getting through a Grimm infested forest sounded anything but.

She was really regretting not getting her coffee in the morning.

Suddenly a steady succession of clicks and whooshes were heard. And glancing down the line of students, she got into possession, seeing as some had already been launched to their untimely dooms. "Three..."

Click, whoosh.

"Two..."

Click, whoosh!

"Aaaaand-" was abruptly cut off as she was launched into the air.

* * *

"Woohooo!" Dwayne cheered as he was launched into the air, before beginning his inevitable decline. Once he did, however, Dwayne flipped open one of the pouches on his utility belt and took out a deck of cards; throwing an Ace, Jack, and Queen of Hearts at a tree as he dived in headfirst.

And in but a moment, a powerful burst of wind erupted from the cards ahead, slowing his decent considerably, allowing him to stab a Ten of Clubs into the tree without hesitation, halting his movement entirely. At least, before Dwayne decided to abuse the remaining momentum, grabbing a nearby branch and swinging around it again, and again...and again, cheering as he spun along, seemingly forgetting about the task at hand completely.

"Woohoo!" he cheered again.

* * *

Screaming her lungs off as she was launched into the air mercilessly, Willow fought to keep her eyes open as the wind forcefully brushed along her body, making it hard to keep straight and focus on not...well...dying!

But as she began her descent into the forest, her hand snapped forward, luckily grabbing a strong enough branch to stop her fall. Only to slip by due to sheer momentum, tumbling along the ground with a thud.

Grabbing the branch, in conjunction with Aura managed to break her fall though, thankfully enough. "Owwie..." Mostly.

* * *

Squinting as the air rushed past her, Seren took out her shield, tucked in her legs, and slowly positioned herself shield first for impact. And as she descended, she could feel herself crash into a tree, or at the very least, a thick branch that would have been just as hard to snap. Thankfully though, it slowed her momentum considerably, allowing a shimmering silver glyph to appear afterwards, rebounding Seren in the opposite direction once it impacted with her shield.

Twisting her body around, she released her hold on Corona almost immediately, leaning back, hooking her feet on its handle as she slid across the forest floor, shifting left and right to dodge the trees before slowly coming to a stop.

"Nice." Picking up her weapon, Seren began to walk.

* * *

"Partners..." ah...that was how Beacon operated.

Wind brushing against his cheeks, Grauer scanned through the passing trees below as he soared through the air. "Once Initiation's over, I'll have to spend the majority of my time with another person." Bothersome, but doable.

At least he'd get more chances to restock on merchandise.

But for the moment, he should probably focus on the fact that he's currently dropping in altitude. Something that would most likely end with more than a few broken trees. "I bet he's enjoying this, being the troll I know he is."

* * *

"Yes...why yes I am." Ozpin murmured, taking a sip from coffee-chan.

Goodwitch simply pulled up another window on her scroll, mentally calculating the future damages cause by the Headmasters antics.

* * *

"None the less, time for a cannonball!" And with that, he curled into a ball, arms wrapped around his head. " **BANZAI!"** Vanishing into the Emerald Forest, snapping wood and crumbling trees tumbling down one after another.

* * *

"AH!" Dwayne screamed, tumbling to the ground surprise. And considering that the tree he was swinging on had suddenly been cleared through by what looked like a monochromatic cannonball, it certainly was an acceptable excuse!

And as he sat back up, Dwayne was just in time to see whatever it was crash, tearing through the earth, kicking up dirt and foliage as it pierced through the forest floor like a knife through butter. Slowly coming to a grueling stop, dust and grass falling from the sky all around, silence returned to the now destroyed clearing.

A silence that was soon broken as a hand propped out of the trench, another following behind just as quickly, revealing the monochromic cannonball to be a human being. A human who was surprisingly unharmed, if a bit dirty, sluggishly crawling out as he was. Then, swaying back and forth, he exploded in a sudden fit of mad giggles.

Scratch his earlier comment. Brain damage had been dealt.

"Um...hello?" Dwayne asked Grauer stiffly. Who wouldn't, seeing what just happened.

Head snapping to the sudden voice, Grauer laughed. "Envoy of the Pancake Queen, are you not?!" Hopping to his feet, his grin gained an innocent gleam. "Or are you an ally of the Maple Kingdom?"

...dear god, the damage was worse than he'd thought, as and as Dwayne saw the man's smile brighten, he tensed

"Which?" Grauer asked.

...if he wasn't a Faunus, Dwayne would still bet his gambling career that he'd sense the psycho's animalistic bloodlust hidden under that smile.

Ironic phrasing though. "I wonder if it still counts as eye contact if I poked out my eyes now," Dwayne mumbled sarcastically.

"...wait...that's right..." Grauer blinked curiously. "Pancake Minion or not, since eye contact has been made, we have thus been bonded together as partners per the official rules of Initiation..." Staring blankly at Dwayne's twitching Raccoon ears, he grinned. "Okay! Emonuki! From now on, you are under the forced conscription of the Maple Kingdom! Prepare to be worked to the bone as we wipe out the Pancake Insurgence!"

Straightening his back, bones popping, Grauer laughed both heartily and mischievously. "Conquer and Devour!" Pointing at a seemingly random direction, he marched on without a care. "Onwards Emonuki!"

Is it too late to just walk away? "I think we need to go this way," Dwayne stating, pointing to the opposite direction.

And seeing him come to an abrupt halt, a sense of dread began to pile.

Turning towards where Dwayne pointed, Grauer tilted his head to the side, a considering hum escaping his lips. "...over there is..." Eyes widening after a couple seconds, his grin turned absolutely vicious. "Congratulations Emonuki! Today you shall have your first conquest over the Pancake Insurgence!" He cackled maniacally, charging on. "Prepare to meet your maker Pancake Queen!"

Never moving an inch though, Dwayne watched as his 'partner' just wandered off to who knows where. But after a couple moments, he held two fingers to his temple, and stuck his thumb out, imitating a gun. Pulling the imaginary trigger without hesitation, head tilting to the side as if he had actually been shot, before following on after Insanity Incarnate.

* * *

Groaning, Willow slowly, but surely got to her feet. Picking up her staff on the way, which had landed a few feet ahead, she cautiously looked around the forest as she started her way through.

Paranoia seeping into her veins in fear of running into a Grimm before she had found a partner. But just as she thought that, Willow caught someone out of the corner of her eye, but quickly lost sight of whoever it was in this dense forest. "H-Hey! Wait up!" She called out.

She hadn't been wandering for long-maybe for ten minutes or less, but when she heard someone call out "Hello", Seren slowly turned around. Listening to the voice-females, if she wasn't mistaken, call as she made her way closer.

And just as minutes passed, Willow herself emerged from the trees, panting slightly, before looking up to the girl, only to realize her lack of conversational skills. "Err...hi?" She smiled, nervously playing with her braid. "I guess this makes us partners."

"Huh, I guess so." Far easier than she expected, when finding one herself. But as she thought about it, Seren realized that they were all pretty much launched in the same direction. "Awesome!" Smiling, she held out her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Smiling in return, Willow nodded. "Thank you," she murmured absent-mindedly shaking her hand. It took her a moment to realize her error. "I mean, you too!" she squeaked, mentally face palming herself.

"Nervous? I don't blame you," she chuckled. "I feel the same. It's Seren, by the way. My name that is. Err, yeah. It's probably not a good idea to stay in one place for long, so let's just walk and talk on the way."

"Right. I'm Willow, by the way." She said, following right after Seren.

Nodding in acknowledgment, Seren made no further motion to converse. What else could she say? It wouldn't be a good idea to become distracted, especially in such a dangerous environment. At the same time though, she didn't want to be rude.

What to do...

* * *

Tapping the ground with his knuckles, blinking thoughtfully at the hollow echo, he knocked a couple more times just to be sure. Why? Because when you see a solid stone floor in the middle of a demon infested forest, it's obvious that it's a clue to some grand, forgotten civilization that go their asses whipped by Father Time.

Minstralian Bones told him so in all those movies.

So with that in mind, he continued knocking on the ground in hopes of locating the obviously hidden switch, Initiation all but forgotten.

"How long are you going to keep doing that?" His partner, Emonuki asked dryly. Though maybe it should be Sarunuki, considering the fact that the Faunus was hanging off of a low-leveled branch.

"Until I find the secret switch." Was all he said, as he began to rap against the ground harder with each one that failed. After a moment though, Grauer grinned.

Grinned, pulled out his gun, and began to fill it with holes.

Ear's twitching in annoyance, Emonuki(Dwayne) dropped from the branch, and rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna scout ahead!" Maybe he'd find something to relieve his boredom with.

But just as he was about to leave, a click sounded right after, followed by the grinding of churning gears. "Found it!" And with one more bang, Dwayne turned to see the ground beneath Grauer crumble away. **"BANZAIIIIIIIiiiiiiiii!"** And seeing him drop below with an exited squeal, Dwayne ran towards the hole only to see a faint glimmer of light shining within.

"Oooohh...great," he muttered in annoyance.

Turning to the sky, Dwayne sighed. "What did I ever do to deserve this?" And then he jumped on down, intent on passing the Initiation.

...sadly, this means the crazy one must come with.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! And sorry if it seemed a bit rushed, buy I was in a rush myself...to sleep that is. Cackle! See you next week!**

 **Maybe...who knows!**


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